Press Releases:

Alabama Coach Nick Saban and Auburn Coach Gus Malzhan say gay athletes have a place on their respective rosters

5/28/2014

Washington– Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) commended the football coaches at Alabama’s two Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools. Both coaches have stated recently gay athletes are welcome on their respective teams. In a report by NFL.com Tuesday, University of Alabama Coach Nick Saban said he would sign a recruit regardless of sexual orientation. Saban’s comments follow Auburn University Coach Gus Malzhan’s similar statements made earlier this year.

“At the end of the day all that matters on the playing field is performance. The fact that these two coaches will give gay athletes a fair shot at success is testament to their character and their leadership skills as coaches,” said HRC Project One America director Brad Clark.

There is a growing trend of welcoming spaces being created in the world of collegiate football. In February, Michael Sam made history as the first Division I college football to come out. Sam was defensive end for the University of Missouri and 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He signed this month with the St. Louis Rams.

In a recent HRC study, a quarter of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender(LGBT) people surveyed say they have experienced bullying at school and more than half say they have been victims of verbal abuse. Making sure that teacher, parents and other adults are supportive LGBT people is a top priority for Project One America. The community-based program focuses on building lasting LGBT presence and infrastructure.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. HRC’s Project One America isan unprecedented effort to dramatically expand LGBT equality in the South through permanent campaigns in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas.

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5 Things to Know about LGBT Issues

1. There are roughly 9 million LGBT people in the US and more than 650,000 same-sex couples.

2. 19% of same-sex couples are raising children according to the US Census Bureau's 2011 American Community Survey.

3. There is no federal law that consistently protects LGBT individuals from employment discrimination; there are no state laws in 29 states that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, and in 32 states that do so based on gender identity.

4. More than 100 anti-LGBT bills have been filed in 29 state legislatures.

5. Marriage equality became the law of the land in June 2015 after the Supreme Court of the United States found bans on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional-and that the fundamenal right to marriage is a fundamental right for all.